Premium indicating device



Filed Jan. 18, 1960 JNVENTOR. JOSEPH L. G/AcosgLLo BY @MKM United StatesPatent Oil ice 3,138,385 Patented June 23, 1964 3,138,385 PREMIUMINDICATING DEVICE Joseph L. Giacohello, RJ). 1, Old Ridge Road,Fairview, Pa. Filed Jan. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 3,082 5 Claims. (Cl.273-138) This invention relates to premium indicating devices and, moreparticularly, to devices for use in connection with dispensingmechanisms such as gasoline filling station pumps, supermarket cashregisters, and the like.

Various means for attracting customers have been used such as premiumstamps, number drawings, and the like; however, each of these methodsinvolves the cus tomer carrying with him cards, stamps, and papers andcollecting these cards, stamps, and papers which becomes laborious andinconvenient. Further, any premium is not granted to the customer on thespot of the purchase. Therefore, much of the appeal of the premium islost.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide a premiumindicating device for use in connection with a dispensing device whichwill indicate at a random time a particular sale when a customer isentitled to a premium. This invention has particular utility inconnection with gasoline pumps wherein a customer will be awarded apremium, for example, a free tank of gasoline, if his turn at the pumpshould be the winning turn. The device also has utility in connectionwith cash registers which are broadly termed dispensing devices hereinwhere such cash registers are used in grocery stores, supermarkets orthe like to indicate when a customer is entitled to a premium and,therefore, attract the attention and interest of customers.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved premiumindicating device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a premium indicatingdevice which will operate at random at a predictable frequency.

A further object of the invention is to provide a premium indicatingdevice which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture andsimple and reliable to use.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsof the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understoodthat changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minordetails of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificingany of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view of a wiring diagram for a premium indicating device foruse with gasoline pumps or the like; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the stepping switch connection.

Now with more particular reference tothe drawing, the premium indicatingsystem shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown by way of example for use withthree gasoline pumps or three cash registers and is made up basically ofthree pumps or device relays RY1, RY2, and RY3, a reset relay RY4, and awin relay RYS. A first stepping switch S1 is of the type commonly foundin telephone switchboard offices having three stages and a secondstepping switch S2 is of similar kind but having a single stage.

The stepping switch S1 may have thirty-three points and the steppingswitch S2 may have fifty-two points. The three stages of the firststepping switch have wiper arms W1, W2, and W3, respectively. For anexample of a combination for a given probability setup, switch S1 mayhave fixed contact 16 connected to fixed contacts 3', 17', and 39" ofswitch S2; contact 30' on switch S1 will be connected to S2 contacts 14and 27; S1 contact 41 may be connected to contacts 6 and 20' on S2; andS1 contacts 43' may be connected to 0, 23', and 10' on S2; S1 contact 43is also connected to contacts 27' and 14' through switch S1-2. SwitchesS1-1 and S12 may be opened or closed to vary this arrangement.

Relays RYI, RY2, and RY3 have three normally open contacts 1-1, 12, and1-3; 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3; and 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3, respectively. Relay RY4has a single normally closed contact 4-1 and relay RYS has two normallyopen contacts 5-1 and 5-3 and a single normally closed contact 5-2.

Switches P1, P2, and P3 indicate limit switches which are closed whenthe operator lifts the gasoline delivery hose from the pump to dispensegasoline. One side of these switches P1, P2, and P3 is connectedtogether and to normally closed contact 5-2 through a wire 240. Theother side of contact 5-2 is connected to one side of normally opencontact 5-1, to the wire 231 and to the intermittent contact INT onswitch S1 through an OFF-ON switch to the motor 224 and to a source ofDC. voltage indicated at B+. Contact INT closes once at the end of eachcomplete rotation of the Wiper arms of switch S1. Timing circuitsindicated by C1, R1; C2, R2; and C3, R3; are connected to the solenoidsof the relays RYl, RY2, and RY3, respectively, and to one side of theirnormally open contacts 1-3, 2-3, and 3-3, respectively, through wires241, 242, and 243. The other sides of the normally open contacts 1-3,2-3, and 3-3 are connected through a wire 244 to one side of thenormally open contact 5-1.

One side of the normally open contacts 1-1, 2-1, and 3-1 are connectedthrough a wire 245 and through a time relay TD to one side of relaycontact 5-3 and to a buzzer B. The other side of contact 5-3 isconnected through a wire 246 to the wiper arms W2 and W3 on the steppingswitch S1. The other sides of the relay contacts 1-1, 2-1, and 3-1 areconnected to the respective free indicating lights F1, F2 and F3.

One side of contacts 12, 2-2 and 3-2 are connected together and to B+.The other sides are connected together through a wire 247 and through areset button NC to the solenoid of relay RY4. The wire 247 is alsoconnected through normally closed contact 4-1 to a motor 226 of steppingswitch S1.

All of the odd fixed contacts plus contacts numbered 4, 16, 20, 24, 30,46, 48 and 50 on stage 229 are con nected to the green light G throughcommon wires so that any time the wiper arm W2 rests on one of thesecontacts, the green light G will light. In like manner all even contactsplus contacts 35, 41, 43, 47, and 49 on the stage having wiper arm W3may be connected to the red light R so that when the wiper arm 230 restson one of these contacts, the red light R will light.

The various connections can be varied on the stepping switches to changethe probability of winning combinations.

The operation of the device is as follows: Suppose, for example, the No.2 pump connected to actuate limit switch P2 has a customer. When theoperator lifts the hose to deliver the gasoline, switch P2 will closeand will remain closed until the operator replaces the hose. This willactuate the relay RY2 and close contacts 2-1, 2-2 and 2-3 for a limitedtime, for instance, two seconds, through the C2-R2 circuit. This willconnect the power from B+ through contacts 2-2 and 4-1 to motor 226which will cause the switch S1 to step and advance its wiper arms oneposition. Relay RY4 will be energized through reset NC. It will opencontact 4-1 and de-energize motor 226. When relay RY2 drops out afterthe predetermined two second period, for example, relay RY4 will bede-energized and contact 4-1 will again close, ready for the nextcustomer.

In this example, an instance is assumed Where the contacts on thestepping switches S1 and S2 do not complete a circuit from B+ to wire228 and, therefore, winning relay RYS will not close. Contact INT isclosed by stepping switch S1 each time its wiper arm makes one completecycle to all of its contacts. When INT closes, it actuates M2 andadvances switch S2 one position. The INT contact of switch 51 opens andcloses each time switch S1 is energized. After a winning combination, itis necessary to manually open reset NC to open relay RY4 and closecontact 4-1 so that the circuit will again operate.

Now assume that stepping switch S1 steps to a position where it willcomplete a circuit from B+, win 231 and one of the wires 232 to W4, wire228, and to relay RYS when the operator lifts the hose from limit switchP3. This time, relay RY3 will close, connecting power to motor 226 whichwill advance stepping switch S1 to the position to complete the circuitto relay RYS through the winning combination. This will connect B-|-through wiper arm W1 and one of the wires 232, W4, and wire 228, torelay RYS. Contact -2 will break the circuit to the wire 240 andcontacts 5-1 and 5-3 will connect power to the solenoid of relay RY3 aswell as to the winning light F3, indicating that the customer wins.Condenser C4 will hold relay RY3 energized by imposing, say, a onehundred and fifty volt potential thereon during the transient intervalduring which relay RYS is operating since, during this transient period,contact 5-1 will be closed and 13+ disconnected from relay RY3.Condenser C4 may be, for example, 80 mfd. This condenser C4 holds thewire 240 at a potential of one hundred fifty'volts during the transientinterval of RYS contacts operation.

The win relay RYS connects the one hundred and ten volt power throughwire 246 and through circuit 53 through the time relay TD to the winningindicator, in this example, F3. The time delay is for the purpose ofproviding a time between the start of gas delivery and the signal, thusproviding more interest to the customer.

The buzzer B also is actuated when any of the three indicators F1, F2,or F3 is actuated to add additional interest. The probability that anyone actuation of a switch P1, P2 or P3 will result in moving switch S1to a position that will connect wire 231 to wire 238 is mathematicallypredictable. V

The foregoing examples show a device for indicating when a premiumshould be paid in connection with a dispensing machine such as a cashregister or a filling station gasoline pump and this invention willincrease sales and cause considerable customer interest in the device.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferredpractical forms but the structure shown is capable of modificationwithin a range of equivalents without departing from the invention whichis to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with theappended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows: i

1. A premium indicatingdevice having indicating device members thereoncomprising a plurality of connecting means for disconnecting said devicemembers from an electrical signal actuated by the actuation ofdispensing device members, a circuit having a plurality of device relaysconnected therein for said dispensing devices, means on each of saidindicating device members whereby said device relays are actuated whensaid dispensing devices connected thereto are actuated, a source ofpower, a signal device, a reset relay, a first and a second steppingswitch, said device relays connecting said first stepping switch to asource of power each time a said device relay is actuated, means on saidfirst stepping switch actuating said second stepping switch each timesaid first stepping switch is actuated through a com- 1 plete cycle,said reset relay disconnecting said first stepping switch from saidsource of power each time one of said device relays is actuated, andmeans connected to said stepping switches to actuate said signal toindicate a winner when both said stepping switches reach a predeterminedposition.

2. The device recited in claim 1 wherein said second stepping switch hasa predetermined number of fixed contacts thereon connected to apredetermined number of fixed contacts on said first stepping switchwhereby said winner is indicated, said stepping switches being actuatedintermittently from a source of electrical energy.

3. A device for indicating a premium in connection with a dispensingdevice comprising a source of power actuated when said device isdispensing, said device comprising a circuit connected to said source ofpower, said circuit including a device relay, means connected to saiddevice relay whereby said device relay is actuated by said dispensingdevice, said device relay having a first, a second, and a third normallyopen contact, a first stepping switch and a second stepping switch eachhaving a motor, a win relay, the first said contact on said device relaybeing connected to said first stepping switch through a contact on saidwin relay, a second contact on said device relay connecting a sourceofpower to said first stepping switch, said first stepping switch having aplurality of its fixed contacts connected to a plurality of the fixedcontacts on said second stepping switch, said second stepping switchfixed contacts connecting a source of electrical power to said win relayactuating means when predetermined contacts on said stepping switchesare connected together, said win relay having means thereon forconnecting a win signal to a source of electrical power when closed,said win relay having a contact thereon connecting electrical power-tosaid device relay actuating means, and a normally closed contact on saidwin relay disconnecting said electrical power from said device relaywhen said win relay is actuated. V

4. The device recited in claim 3 wherein a capacitor is connected tosaid device relay whereby electrical power is applied to said devicerelay while said win relay is operating. a

5. The device recited in claim 4 wherein a plurality of said devicerelays are provided for connecting to a plurality of dispensing devices,each said device relay having three contacts, one of said contacts beingconnected to a signal device, another said contact being connectedthrough a reset relay, and a third said contact interlocking said devicerelays through one contact on said win relay when said win relay isactuated. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,781,949 Stoneburner Feb. 19, 1957

1. A PREMIUM INDICATING DEVICE HAVING INDICATING DEVICE MEMBERS THEREONCOMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONNECTING MEANS FOR DISCONNECTING SAID DEVICEMEMBERS FROM AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL ACTUATED BY THE ACTUATION OFDISPENSING DEVICE MEMBERS, A CIRCUIT HAVING A PLURALITY OF DEVICE RELAYSCONNECTED THEREIN FOR SAID DISPENSING DEVICES, MEANS ON EACH OF SAIDINDICATING DEVICE MEMBERS WHEREBY SAID DEVICE RELAYS ARE ACTUATED WHENSAID DISPENSING DEVICES CONNECTED THERETO ARE ACTUATED, A SOURCE OFPOWER, A SIGNAL DEVICE, A RESET RELAY, A FIRST AND A SECOND STEPPINGSWITCH, SAID DEVICE RELAYS CONNECTING SAID FIRST STEPPING SWITCH TO ASOURCE OF POWER EACH TIME A SAID DEVICE RELAY IS ACTUATED, MEANS ON SAIDFIRST STEPPING SWITCH ACTUATING SAID SECOND STEPPING SWITCH EACH TIMESAID FIRST STEPPING SWITCH IS ACTUATED THROUGH A COMPLETE CYCLE, SAIDRESET RELAY DISCONNECTING SAID FIRST STEP-